Editing Love (band) (section)

=== Formation and early years ===
[[File:Love band performing 1966.jpg|thumb|Love performing {{circa|mid-1966}}]]
Singer/multi-instrumentalist [[Arthur Lee (musician)|Arthur Lee]], who was originally from [[Memphis, Tennessee]] but had lived in [[Los Angeles]] since the age of five, had been recording since 1963 with his bands the LAG's and Lee's American Four. He wrote and produced the single "My Diary" for Rosa Lee Brooks in 1964, which featured [[Jimi Hendrix]] on guitar.<ref name=":4" /> [[The Sons Of Adam]], which included future Love drummer Michael Stuart, recorded the Lee composition "Feathered Fish". After attending a performance by [[the Byrds]], Lee decided to form a band that joined the newly minted folk-rock sound of the Byrds to his primarily [[rhythm and blues]] style.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book|last=Strong|first=Martin C.|title=The Great Rock Discography|publisher=Mojo Books|year=2000|isbn=1-84195-017-3|edition=5th|location=Edinburgh|pages=585–586}}</ref>

Singer/guitarist [[Bryan MacLean]], who had met Lee when he was working as a roadie for The Byrds, joined Lee's new band, which was first called the Grass Roots. MacLean had also been playing in bands around Los Angeles since about 1963.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bryan-maclean-mn0000525687/biography|title=Bryan MacLean {{!}} Biography & History|website=AllMusic|language=en-us|access-date=February 18, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Tobler|first=John|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/jan/02/guardianobituaries|title=Bryan Maclean obituary|date=January 2, 1999|work=The Guardian|access-date=February 18, 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Also joining the band was another Memphis native, lead guitarist [[Johnny Echols]], and drummer Don Conka. A short time later, Conka was replaced by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer. Love's first bassist, Johnny Fleckenstein, went on to join the [[Standells]] in 1967. Fleckenstein was replaced by [[Ken Forssi]] (formerly of a post-"[[Wipe Out (song)|Wipe Out]]" lineup of [[The Surfaris]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/love-mn0000314600/biography|title=Love {{!}} Biography & History|website=AllMusic|language=en-us|access-date=February 18, 2020}}</ref> Upon the appearance of another group called [[The Grass Roots]], Lee changed the name of the new band to Love.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography" />

Love started playing the Los Angeles clubs in April 1965 and became a popular local attraction, while gaining the attention of [[the Rolling Stones]] and [[the Yardbirds]].<ref name=":0" /> The band lived communally in a house called "the Castle", a large but run-down residence sourced by Ronnie Haran.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/love-california-dreaming|title=The Man Who Inspired Hendrix: The Crazy World Of Arthur Lee & Love|last=February 2016|first=Max Bell19|website=Classic Rock Magazine|date=February 19, 2016 |language=en|access-date=February 18, 2020}}</ref> It was a dilapidated mansion that the band was allowed to live in if they did the maintenance and paid the taxes.  According to [[John Einarson]] in the book "Forever Changes", the cover photo of their first two albums was of the band taken in Laurel Canyon at a burned down house that only had the remains of a fireplace left standing.

Signed to [[Elektra Records]] as the label's first rock act,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-26-vl-28061-story.html|title=Love's Main Man Looks Back on the '60s, Man : Arthur Lee, leader of Elektra's first rock band, talks about the Doors, the Byrds and Mick Jagger.|date=August 26, 1993|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=February 18, 2020}}</ref> the band scored a minor hit single in 1966 with their version of [[Burt Bacharach]] and [[Hal David]]'s "[[My Little Red Book]]". Their first album, ''[[Love (Love album)|Love]]'', was released in March 1966. The album sold moderately well and reached No.&nbsp;57 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] [[record chart|chart]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography" /> The single "[[7 and 7 Is]]", released in July 1966 (from their second LP DaCapo), gained notice for the exceptional guitar work of Johnny Echols and proto-punk style drumming of Pfisterer. The single became Love's highest-charting single at No.&nbsp;33 in the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography" /> Two more members were added around this time, Tjay Cantrelli (real name John Barbieri) on woodwinds and Michael Stuart on drums. Pfisterer, never a confident drummer, switched to harpsichord.<ref name=":0" />  Elektra's art director, [[William S. Harvey]], designed a distinctive logo for the band, "four cartoonish letters with exaggerated, curvaceous serifs", incorporating [[gender symbol|male and female symbols]].<ref>[https://www.bandlogojukebox.com/blog/2017/11/13/e9p5i07uo77smrwdq2ooqn24bqv0ch Jim K. Davies, "Love", ''Band Logo Jukebox''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625053732/https://www.bandlogojukebox.com/blog/2017/11/13/e9p5i07uo77smrwdq2ooqn24bqv0ch |date=June 25, 2020 }}. Retrieved June 25, 2020</ref>

Arthur Lee had an exclusive contract with Herb Cohen for a short time after signing with Elektra Records. After Lee met Ronnie Haran, booking manager for the Whisky a Go Go, Cohen was fired by Arthur in favor of Haran.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last=Einarson |first=John |title=Forever Changes: Arthur Lee and the Book Of Love - The Authorized Biography of Arthur Lee |publisher=Jawbone Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-908279-22-4 |edition=1st |pages=33–34, 60}}</ref>  Haran continued to manage Love, despite not having an official contract, for a couple years.  Mike Gruber took over after Haran departed as manager, though Haran remained somewhat involved with the group.<ref name=":9" />